id:

"Is it Maneto to you?"

Others were noticed rubbing their eyes, as though they feared that by
some witchery bad medicine had been thrown in them, and, in their Indian
phraseology, they were "seeing double."

There was no more inattention. Every pipe went out, and every eye
followed me, as in these syllables I wrote on the rock, God is Love.
After talking about this a little. I then wrote, God Loves You. This
we followed with other short sentences full of blessed Gospel truths.
Thus passed some hours in this delightful way, and before they were
ended, numbers of my pupils had become quite familiarised with the
formation of words out of these characters.

Then we opened our bundle of Bibles, and, passing them around as far as
they would go, I had them all turn to the first verse of the first
chapter of Genesis. After some explanation of a few additional signs
which they there saw upon the printed page, and which give some
variation to the sound of the syllabic character to which they are
attached, we began the study of the verse. Of course our progress at
first was slow. It could not be otherwise under such circumstances.
But we patiently persevered, and it was not very long ere they were able
to read in their own language: "Ma-wache Nistum Kaesamaneto Keoosetou
Kesik Mesa Askee, (In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth.")

When they had acquired the ability to read this verse for themselves,
and had grasped a little of its meaning, there was another outburst of
delight. That first verse of Genesis is very suggestive and full of
meaning to any one, no matter how learned, who strives to investigate
it. It is in itself the first chapter of God's revelation of Himself to
man, and has long occupied the attention and study of the most godly and
profound. Here, for the first time, it was being read by a company of
poor Indians just emerging from paganism. But they were sharp and keen,
and able to grasp a new truth; and so when the verse first opened before
them with its wondrous meaning, great was their delight and amazement.

"Now we know all about it!" some of them shouted. "The Kaesa-Maneto,
(the great God,) made all these things, the heaven and the earth."

Others said:

"Our fathers talked about it in their wigwams, and wondered how all
these things came as they are; but they had to confess that they were in
darkness, and knew nothing. But now we know it! We know it!"

Over and ov